Book Reviews & Thoughts

When We Collided – Emery Lord

Synopsis

We are seventeen and shattered and still dancing. We have messy, throbbing hearts, and we are stronger than anyone could ever know…

Jonah never thought a girl like Vivi would come along.

Vivi didn’t know Jonah would light up her world.

Neither of them expected a summer like this…a summer that would rewrite their futures.

In an unflinching story about new love, old wounds, and forces beyond our control, two teens find that when you collide with the right person at just the right time, it will change you forever.

Review

I absolutely steamrolled through this book when I first started reading it. I thought it would 100% wind up as a 5-star read. But I forced myself to stop as other parts of life picked up. And when I got back to this book, it lost some of its magic. Somehow, it was hard to get wrapped up again in Vivi’s World.

Listen, you have no idea how glad I am that this book talks about Bipolar Disorder. I think it runs in my family, but it’s something that is hardly ever acknowledged. Certain relatives are just known to be “moody.” They’ll have months of hyperactivity, then months of sedentary depression. Sometimes, moods can change like a flick of a switch. There’s no good explanation for it, or any real cause. I don’t think anything causes someone to snap. Lashing out just happens. Emery Lord described it pretty well, especially from an outsider’s perspective. I’m just not sure that everything going through Vivi’s head was accurate. Then again, what would I know?

I think being susceptible to this mental health issue is one of my biggest fears. What if I lose my impulse control one day? What if this disease lies dormant in me, only to one day be revealed during troubling times or among my closest relationships? I think Emery Lord handles a case like Vivi pretty well. She shows that it’s okay to get help. But what if you’re not there yet? What if you’re in Jonah’s position? I feel like he’s somewhat just drifting in the wind. He let Vivi help him feel happier, but what will happen to him once she’s gone? One day he wakes up and everything is suddenly better. But she could’ve easily left without that happening. Jonah and his siblings are all incredibly resilient. But what if they weren’t? I wish the author described how to handle mental health issues when money is a key concern. Let’s be real, therapists, medication, and hospital visits don’t come cheap.

This story covers important topics and is written beautifully — just as I’ve come to expect from Emery Lord. I only wish it had a more definitive conclusion.